Rafael Nadal was given with a gold racket during the Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia, and its approximate value has been revealed.
Last week’s Six Kings Slam featured Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune. The lucrative tournament promised all guys $1.5 million simply for appearing.
Despite losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, Nadal’s performance in Saudi Arabia was impressive given his previous physical troubles. This raises the chance that he will play singles in his final Davis Cup Finals appearance next month.
The contest with Djokovic also marked the end of their legendary rivalry. They played some of the best matches in tennis history, including the 2012 Australian Open final, which remains the longest Grand Slam final ever at five hours and 53 minutes.
Djokovic seemed sincerely sad after playing the person he has called his greatest rival for the final time. The Serbian paid an emotional tribute to Nadal, calling him an incredible person and a great ambassador for tennis.
Nadal considers Roger Federer his greatest rival, not Djokovic, but his respect for the 24-time Grand Slam champion was also evident. He thanked him for everything and admitted he would not have become such a great player without Djokovic.
Although all six men who played at the Six Kings Slam said many great things about Saudi Arabia while there, unsurprisingly, considering what they were being paid, Nadal’s ties to the country are stronger than the others.
The 14-time French Open champion became an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation in January of this year. That was a controversial move because the country’s government, which funds the tennis federation, has committed numerous human rights abuses.
Nadal recently reacted to those worries, stating that he understands why people are concerned, but that connecting with the country is the proper strategy, despite the fact that the government is paying the 38-year-old a large sum of money.
After his match against Djokovic, Turki Al Sheikh, the advisor to Saudi Arabia’s Royal Court, presented Nadal with a racquet entirely plated in gold, demonstrating his close relationship with the Saudi leadership.
The racquet is intended to represent his reputation as one of the best tennis players in history. It is expected to weigh three kilograms and has tremendous financial value.
As reported by Marca, Nadal’s golden racket should be valued at around €250,000. The Spaniard’s status and the racket being covered in gold make it special, but that is still a scarcely believable sum for a racket.
That gift will likely encourage Nadal even more to continue working with Saudi Arabia. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is expected to open an academy in the country in the future.
However, he will first focus on preparing for his final appearance in the Davis Cup finals next month. Nadal did not request a wild card for the Paris Masters, confirming that the Six Kings Slam was his final performance before retirement.
